Illuminated sketch and memo board



23, 1967 R. E. ADLER ILLUMINATED SKETCH AND MEMO BOARD Filed Jan. 11, 1965 y m r/rm 4.21%...-

A name-7 3,321,616 ILLUMHJATED SKETCH AND MEMO BOARD Ronald E. Adler, 330 N. Poinsettia Place, Los Angeles, Calif. 90036 Filed Jan. 11, 1965, Ser. No. 424,673 6 Claims. (Cl. 240-6.4)

This invention relates to a board which can be drawn upon by use of an instrument that deposits visible material and whereby said board transmits light from a source thereof for illumination in general and for the illumination of the said visible material deposited thereon, it being a general object of this invention to provide a unit of the character referred to wherein the board is of substantial area and is adequately lighted from a single light source.

Edge lighting of signs and panels is known to the art, but a portable edge lighted transparent light transmitting board usable as a night light or toy has not been available. Therefore, the present invention concerns itself with a practical and utilitarian edge lighted board upon which sketches and memos are to be made, and with a sketch and memo board in which the markings thereon are illuminated and which are also easily erased.

An object of this invention is to provide a unit of construction in the form of a board that is to be sketched and/ or written upon and in which the markings that are made are illuminated and in which the markings are also erasable. It is significant that the board is virtually nonilluminated unless marked upon and that the erasure of the markings is accomplished with facility.

Another object of this invention is to provide-a sketch and memo board of the character above referred to and which is portable and which can be manipulated to best advantage for the comfort and convenience of the person using the same. Preferably, the board construction is completely self-contained, having a battery operated light source, all features of the construction being easily accessible from the top or front of the board.

It is still another object of this invention to provide an apparatus wherein three independent means are manipulated; one, a board upon which sketches or memos are to be deposited; two, a means in the form of an instrument which deposits the sketches or memos upon said board, through suitable manipulation; and three, a means in the form of an eraser which removes the sketches or memos from the board with facility, and also through suitable manipulation; all three means being combined and manipulated as required.

The various objects and features of this invention will be fully understood from the following detailed description of the typical preferred forms and applications thereof, throughout which description reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a sectional view taken through the illuminated board of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view taken as indicated by line 22 on FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken as indicated by line 33 on FIG. 1 and FIG. 4 is a bottom view taken as indicated by line 4-4 on FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary view similar to a portion of FIG. 1 and illustrates a modified form.

The sketch and memo board is a flat rectangular unit of construction which comprises, generally, a body B, a plate P, illuminating means A, and marking means C. The body B provides the necessary housing structure to contain the plate P and illuminating means A and to capture and support the marking means C when it is not in use. The said body B provides the necessary optical backing which is peculiarly required when edge lighting the nited States Patent 0 plate P which is transparent, all to the end that markings made by the marking means C become visible. Also, the illuminating means A as hereinafter described is such as to adequately light the entire area of the plate P, the structure of means A being accessible from the front of the structure for ease in servicing.

The body B can be fabricated in many Ways and is preferably a molded plastic shell having an open bottom and established by a top panel 10 bordered Iby depending side walls 11, 12, 13 and 14. The upper wall 11 is of substantial height for accommodating the structure of the illuminating means A, while the opposite wall 14 is substantially shallow. Thus, the top panel slopes gently toward the user as does a desk top. In accordance with the invention, the panel 10 has an enlarged opening 15 therein and which occupies the greater area of the top panel. The top panel 10 is of nominal thickness, as shown, and the underside 16 of the top panel 10 establishes a planar seat to be engaged by the top planar face of the plate P.

The body B includes a receiver R for cooperatively completing the illuminating means A, said receiver R being located between the wall 11 and the parallel edge of the opening 15. The receiver R is a well-shaped cavity that preferably opens upwardly at the top panel 10 and which also opens laterally into the opening 15. In practice, the receiver R is provided with an aperture 17 that is limited to the size of a small incandescent lamp, said aperture communicating with the opening 15 in order to transmit light to the plate P later described. It is to beunderstood that if the board is inverted, intentionally or accidentally, the cover by means of its retaining features will support the weight of the batteries. In other words, reversibility from a top to a bottom installation of the batteries is feasible, and for example, in FIG. 5 of the drawings I have illustrated such a modification wherein the construction remains substantially the same with the illuminating means A fastened to and depending from the top panel 10, with the receiver R opened downwardly, and with the cover 30' snapped into place to support the weight of the-batteries.

The body B includes a frame F for cooperatively completing the illumination of plate P, and to this end the frame F is opaque and such as to present a darkened matte background. The frame F can be secured to the top panel 10 in various manners and as shown has sides 18 that have keyed engagement with mating rails 19 that depend from the underside 16. In practice, the frame F is preferably a flat plate like part with a topside 20 spaced from and parallel to the underside 16, the mating rides 18 and'rails 19 being snapped together and/or cemented as may be required. Alternatively, the frame F is integral with the top panel 10', as shown in FIG. 5, in which case there is an upwardly opening recess into which the plate P is to be retained. In this case the edges of the plate P are spaced uniformly from the edge walls of the recess thus formed, and a retainer 50 is provided and which-has a wall 51 that occupies the space between the opposed edges and which has a lip 52 overlying the marginal portion of the plate P. Further, the edge walls of the recess are vertically disposed and are provided with inwardly opening notches for the reception of projections 53 on the retainer 50 and which locks the retainer 50 and plate P in working position.

The body B includes a releasible clamp D for captured support of the marking means C, and the said releasible clamp D comprises a channel 22 into which the means C can be forcibly pressed, and said channel being characterized by a transversely crowned bottom 23. As is shown, the channel 22 has spaced side walls 21 that are substantially parallel and opposed at the center of the channel, and which are divergent somewhat in opposite directions of extent. Alternatively, the marking instrument can be tapered (also as shown) from a center point. In practice, the high point of the crowned bottom 23 also occurs at the center, whereby the marking instrument to be'described can rock in the channel 22.

The plate P is cooperatively related to the body B, frame F and receiver R all hereinabove described, and is a flat plate of transparent material having opposite parallel and smooth internally reflective faces 25 and 26. The plate P is a solid of transparent material such as Plexiglas or Lucite or any cast acrylic or the like, the top planar face 25 of which seats flatly against the underside 16 and the bottom planar face 26 of which is pressured against or supported by the top side of the frame F. Since the frame F is opaque, and it is also imperforate, with a dark and preferably black matte finish, the opening 15 and plate P present a darkened screen even when edge lighted. However, markings deposited on the top planar face will be illuminated by incident light that reflects through the plate P.

The illuminating means A is shown as a battery operated means incorporated in and carried by a cover 30 that closes the well-shaped receiver R. It is preferred that the receiver R be elongated so as to receive two ordinary cylindrical dry-cell batteries arranged end to end in series, in which case the cover 30 is shaped in a similar manner and is undercut at its edges to be snapped into place at the plane of the top panel 10. The cover 30 and/ or cover 30' completely closes the opening of the receiver R and/ or receiver R. The cover 30 is fashioned so as to trap light within the receiver, having overlapped engagement with the top panel as shown. In accordance with the preferred form of the invention, the entire workings of the illuminating means A are incorporated in or on the said cover 30 and which involves, generally, a pair of electrical conductors 31 and 32 and a shiftable contactor 33. In the case illustrated, the body B and cover 30 are formed of insulating plastic material, non-metallic, and the conductors 31 and 32 are spring brass parts that are permanently fastened, as by rivets, to the cover. The conductors 31 and 32 have opposed legs 31 and 32 respectively, that depend from the cover 30 and which are biased against opposite end terminals of the battery. The conductors 31 and 32 are electrically separated, the lamp 34 having its base threaded into one and its center contact engaged with the other. Broadly, the shiftable contactor 33 releasibly engages between the conductors 31 and 32 in order to complete the circuit therethrough, and in the particular case illustrated the conductor 32 is sectional, having section a which is fastened to the cover 30 and has the depending leg 32, and having section b which is fastened to the cover 30 and engages the center contact of lamp 34. As shown, the sections a and b overlap and are normally sprung apart, there being a slider 35 which runs in a limiting slot in section b and which has shoulders to underlie the said section and releasible pull the end portion thereof, comprising the conductor, into engagement with the other section a. The said slot in the section b is continued in the overlying cover 30, whereby the contactor-slider 33-35 is manually operable where it projects from the exterior of the cover.

In accordance with the invention the lamp 34 is entered into the aperture .17 with its filament centered between the planes 25 and 26, and is engaged in a notch 36 that is cut into the margin of the plate P. Thus, a substantial quantity of light radiates from lamp 34 and enters the marginal portion of the plate P to internally illuminate the same. As a result, the plate P is efficiently edge lighted from a single lamp 34 that is effectively hidden from view beneath the cover 30. As shown, the cover can be slightly enlarged or raised so as to accommodate the diameter of the lamp 34.

The marking means C is a writing instrument, preferably of longated cylindrical form, with a projecting element 40 of crayon or like material that is deposited upon the plate P when the said element 40 is frictionally engaged over said plate. The element 40 leaves a deposit of translucent and/or opaque material which adheres sufficiently to and so as to remain upon the surface 25. As a result of the existing incident internal lighting within the transparent plate P, the said deposit markings are illuminated and become visible. As above described, the said marking means C is captured on the body B, by pressing it into engagement between the opposed walls 21. Said engagement between said walls 21 is voluntarily overcome by rocking the elongated cylindrical form on the bottom 23, thereby prying the same out of said opposed engagement.

In carrying out this invention there is provided an erasing means E which comprises a pad of soft absorbent fibers. For example, a most effective erasing means E is a pad, square or section of soft paper tissue which is commercially available in small compact packages 41 and which can be pressed and held frictionally in a cavity 42 provided beneath the frame F, and housed within the body B, as shown.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that I have provided a simple, compact and effective unit or apparatus wherein three general elements are involved. One element is the body B and plate P construction which is a self-contained unit with its illuminating means A. The second element of the apparatus is the marking means C, and the third element is the erasing means E, the latter two requiring suitable manipulation by the user. The combination of elements B, P and A is easily manufactured and assembled and when the lamp 34 is lighted the plate P is effectively illuminated internally. The said marking means C is then manually removed by rocking the same from the body F and is used for applying crayon marks, or the like, to the surface 25. In order to renew the surface 25 it is then a simple matter to erase by employing a gentle scrubbing action with the means E comprised of soft absorbent tissue.

Having described only the typical preferred forms and applications of my invention I do not wish to be limited or restricted to the specific details herein set forth, but wish to reserve to myself any modifications or variations that may appear to those skilled in the art and fall Within the scope of the following claims.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. An illuminated sketch and memo board for general illumination and for the illumination of visible material deposited thereon, said sketch and memo board comprislngz I l {1.-

A body member (B), said body member having four side walls (11, 12, 13 and 14) depending therefrom, one of said side walls (11) having a greater height than another of said side walls (14) so that said body member is provided with a sloping configuration, said body member having a top surface (10) provided with an enlarged opening (15) therein, the lower peripheral edge of said opening being provided with an extended projected edge (19) for receiving and retaining structure (I) placed within said opening, said body member being provided at one end thereof with a well shaped receiver (R) for receiving and retaining electrical illuminating means (A) therein for illuminating said sketch and memo board, said body member being provided at the other end thereof with a channel shaped receiver (22) for receiving and retaining a marking instrument (C) used for making visible marks on said sketch and memo board;

A plate member (P), said plate member being made of a material which passes light therethrough, said plate member being of appropriate size so as to fit snugly within the opening (15) provided within the top surface (10) of said body member (B) and thus be supported by the extended projected edge at the lower periphery of said opening;

A frame member (F), said frame member being made Illuminating means (A) for transmitting light onto said plate (P) so as to provide for general illumination and provide for the illumination of visible material deposited on said plate, said illuminating means including a lamp member (34) mounted within said body member so that the filament of said lamp member is substantially centered between the upper (25) and lower (26) plane surfaces of said plate for radiating a substantial quantity of light int-o the marginal portion of said plate for internally illuminating said plate and thereby effectively lighting the peripheral edge portions of said plate, said plate being provided with a notched portion (36) on one of its ends for receiving the filament section of said lamp member, said illuminating means also including at least tWo dry cell batteries electrically connected in an electrical series connection for electrically energizing said lamp member; and

Electrical switching means for electrically energizing and de-energizing said lamp member, said switching means including at least two electrical conductor members (31 and 32) the opposite ends of which are biased against opposite end terminals of the dry cell batteries and the other ends of which are in electrical contact with said lamp member, said switching means also including a shiftable eontactor member (33-35) for electrically connecting and disconnecting said electrical conductor members so as to thereby electrically energize and de-energize said lamp member, said contactor member (3335) including a manually operable slidable contractor button (33) mounted upon the upper surface of said body member, said contactor member having an electrical conducting member attached to its lower surface so that manual movement of said contactor will electrically connect and disconnect said battery electrical conductor members thereby electrically energizing and de-energizing said lamp member so as to thereby control the periods of time during which light is radiated from said lamp member to said plate for general illumination and for the illumination of visible material deposited on the plate of said illuminated sketch and memo board.

2. An illuminated sketch and memo board in accordance with claim 1 wherein said body member (B) is of a molded plastic shell construction having an exposed opened underside which provides easy access to the receiving and retaining cavity (42) for erasing materials (E) provided Within said frame member (F).

3. An illuminated sketch and memo board in accordance with claim 1 wherein said frame member (F) is made integral with the top panel (10) of said body mem ber and said plate (P), supported by the upper surface (20) of said frame member, is retained on said frame member by a retainer (50) which securely locks said plate (P) to said frame (F).

4. An illuminated sketch and memo board in accordance with claim 3 wherein said retainer (50) has a wall portion (51) which occupies the space between the peripheral edge of said plate (P) and the substantially vertically extending portion of said frame (F), said retainer also having a lip (52) which overlies the marginal portion of the plate (P) and a projection (53) which fits within inwardly opening notches provided in said frame for securely locking said plate (P) to said frame (F).

5. An illuminated sketch and memo board in accordance With claim 1 wherein said body member is provided with depending rails (19) for receiving and retaining the sides (18) of the frame (F) so that said body member and frame may be snapped together or otherwise bonded one to the other.

6. An illuminated sketch and memo board in accordance with claim 1 wherein said channel shaped receiver (22) within said body member for receiving and retaining marking instruments therein is provided with a transversely crowned bottom surface (23) having the high point of the crowned surface at the center of the receiver (22) so that the marking instrument retained therein may be pivoted within said receiver about the high point of the bottom surface and thereby removed from the receiver (22).

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,320,537 11/1919 Dimond 240-64 2,566,458 9/1951 Macau 240-1 2,629,043 2/1953 Heltje 240-64 2,629,045 2/1953 Frohlich 240 10.67 2,806,715 9/1957 Smith 240 6.4 3,215,453 11/1965 Malcom 2406.4

NORTON ANSHER, Primary Examiner. C. C. LOGAN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. AN ILLUMINATED SKETCH AND MEMO BOARD FOR GENERAL ILLUMINATION AND FOR THE ILLUMINATION OF VISIBLE MATERIAL DEPOSITED THEREON, SAID SKETCH AND MEMO BOARD COMPRISING: A BODY MEMBER (B), SAID BODY MEMBER HAVING FOUR SIDE WALLS (11, 12, 13 AND 14) DEPENDING THEREFROM, ONE OF SAID SIDE WALLS (11) HAVING A GREATER HEIGHT THAN ANOTHER OF SAID SIDE WALLS (14) SO THAT SAID BODY MEMBER IS PROVIDED WITH A SLOPING CONFIGURATION, SAID BODY MEMBER HAVING A TOP SURFACE (10) PROVIDED WITH AN ENLARGED OPENING (15) THEREIN, THE LOWER PERIPHERAL EDGE OF SAID OPENING BEING PROVIDED WITH AN EXTENDED PROJECT EDGE (19) FOR RECEIVING AND RETAINING STRUCTURE (P) PLACED WITHIN SAID OPENING, SAID BODY MEMBER BEING PROVIDED AT ONE END THEREOF WITH A WELL SHAPED RECEIVER (R) FOR RECEIVING AND RETAINING ELECTRICAL ILLUMINATING MEANS (A) THEREIN FOR ILLUMINATING SAID SKETCH AND MEMO BOARD, SAID BODY MEMBER BEING PROVIDED AT THE OTHER END THEREOF WITH A CHANNEL SHAPED RECEIVER (22E FOR RECEIVING AND RETAINING A MARKING INSTRUMENT (C) USED FOR MAKING VISIBLE MARKS ON SAID SKETCH AND MEMO BOARD; A PLATE MEMBER (P), SAID PLATE MEMBER BEING MADE OF A MATERIAL WHICH PASSES LIGHT THERETHROUGH SAID PLATE MEMBER BEING OF APPROPRIATE SIZE SO AS TO FIT SNUGLY WITHIN THE OPENING (15) PROVIDED WITHIN THE TOP SURFACE (10) OF SAID BODY MEMBER (B) AND THUS BE SUPPORTED BY THE EXTENDED PROJECTED EDGE AT THE LOWER PERIPHERY OF SAID OPENING; A FRAME MEMBER (F), SAID FRAME MEMBER BEING MADE OF AN OPAQUE MATERIAL, SAID FRAME MEMBER BEING PROVIDED WITH A CAVITY (42) FOR RECEIVING AND RETAINING ERASING MATERIALS (E) THEREIN, SAID FRAME MEMBER BEING CONNECTED TO SAID BODY MEMBER SO AS TO BE POSITIONED BELOW SAID PLATE MEMBER AND PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR SAID PLATE MEMBER; ILLUMINATING MEANS (A) FOR TRANSMITTING LIGHT ONTO SAID PLATE (P) SO AS TO PROVIDE FOR GENERAL ILLUMINATION AND PROVIDE FOR THE ILLUMINATION OF VISIBLE MATERIAL DEPOSITED ON SAID PLATE, SAID ILLUMINATING MEANS INCLUDING A LAMP MEMBER (34) MOUNTED WITHIN SAID BODY MEMBER SO THAT THE FILAMENT OF SAID LAMP MEMBER IS SUBSTANTIALLY CENTERED BETWEEN THE UPPER (25) AND LOWER (26) PLANE SURFACES OF SAID PLATE FOR RADIATING A SUBSTANTIAL QUANTITY OF LIGHT INTO THE MARGINAL PORTION OF SAID PLATE FOR INTERNALLY ILLUMINATING SAID PLATE OF THEREBY EFFECTIVELY LIGHTING THE PERIPHERAL EDGE PORTIONS OF SAID PLATE, SAID PLATE BEING PROVIDED WITH A NOTCHED PORTION (36) ON ONE OF ITS ENDS FOR RECEIVING THE FILAMENT SECTION OF SAID LAMP MEMBER, SAID ILLUMINATING MEANS ALSO INCLUDING AT LEAST TWO DRY CELL BATTERIES ELECTRICALLY CONNECTED IN AN ELECTRICAL SERIES CONNECTION FOR ELECTRICALLY ENERGIZING SAID LAMP MEMBER; AND ELECTRICAL SWITCHING MEANS FOR ELECTRICALLY ENERGIZING AND DE-ENERGIZING SAID LAMP MEMBER, SAID SWITCHING MEANS INCLUDING AT LEAST TWO ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR MEMBERS (31 AND 32) THE OPPOSITE ENDS OF WHICH ARE BIASED AGAINST OPPOSITE END TERMINALS OF THE DRY CELL BATTERIES AND THE OTHER ENDS OF WHICH ARE IN ELECTRICAL CONTACT WITH SAID LAMP MEMBER, SAID SWITCHING MEANS ALSO INCLUDING A SHIFTABLE CONTACTOR MEMBER (33-35) FOR ELECTRICALLY CONNECTING AND DISCONNECTING SAID ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR MEMBERS SO AS TO THEREBY ELECTRICALLY ENERGIZE AND DE-ENERGIZE SAID LAMP MEMBER, SAID CONTACTOR MEMBER (33-35) IN CLUDING A MANUALLY OPERABLE SLIDABLE CONTRACTOR BUTTON (33) MOUNTED UPON THE UPPER SURFACE OF SAID BODY MEMBER, SAID CONTACTOR MEMBER HAVING AN ELECTRICAL CONDUCTING MEMBER ATTACHED TO ITS LOWER SURFACE SO THAT MANUAL MOVEMENT OF SAID CONTACTOR WILL ELECTRICALLY CONNECT AND DISCONNECT SAID BATTERY ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR MEMBERS THEREBY ELECTRICALLY ENERGIZING AND DE-ENERGIZING SAID LAMP MEMBER SO AS TO THEREBY CONTROL THE PERIODS OF TIME DURING WHICH LIGHT IS RADIATED FROM SAID LAMP MEMBER TO SAID PLATE FOR GENERAL ILLUMINATION AND FOR THE ILLUMINATION OF VISIBLE MATERIAL DEPOSITED ON THE PLATE TO SAID ILLUMINATED SKETCH AND MEMO BOARD. 